Direction indicator



March 11, 1930. F. A. DAECHSEL 1,149,754

DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed June 2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 11, 1930. F. A. DAECHSEL DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed June 2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 11, 1930 1 1,749,754

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK AUGUST DAECHSEL, or OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA DIRECTION INDICATOR Application filed June 2, 1925. Serial No. 34,386.

This invention relates to improvements in steering wheel and C the windshield, all of direction indicators and the objects of the well known construction. invention are to provide a direction indicator Rigidly mounted on the windshield C is a for vehicles adapted to be operated otherwise bracket member 10 the other end of which is than by the hand or foot whereby the drivformed of a socket 11 in which is rotatably 55 ers hands and feet are left free to operate mounted, through the stem and bulb socket the steering and brake mechanisms and at 12, a casing 13 of any suitable formation comthe same time it enables him to successfully prising the indicator having therein a lamp operate the direction indicator. 14:. This indicator may be of any well known A further object is to provide a direction construction and is adapted, as illustrated 60 indicator for automobiles and the like to be in Figure 3, to point in the direction in which operated from the drivers seat by the drivers the car is travelling when not in use. On the knees. driver wishing to indicate his intention to Still further objects are to so improve and turn to the left the indicator mechanism is 15 modify the construction of a direction indioperated to cause the member 13 to be illurn-- 6 cator for vehicles operable otherwise than by inated and to simultaneously rotate one quarhand that the several parts will more satister turn to the left. factorily perform the various functions re- Connected to the socket member 11 is a uired of them. Bowden control 15, one end of the wire 16 With the foregoing and other objects in passing therethrough being connected to the 70 view the invention consists in the novel constem and bulb socket 12, while the other end struction, combination and arrangement of is connected to the lever 17 at 17 The lever parts as described and illustrated in the pres- 17 is pivotally mounted substantially midway ent specification and accompanying drawings of ts length at 18 in a suitablecasing 19 in which an example of my invention is diswhich may be attached to the instrument:

closed. board adjacent the steering column. This Referring now to the drawings in which lever is adapted to extend downwardly in like characters of reference indicate 'corres-forrnation so as to fit between the knees of sponding parts in each figure, the driver and to be preferably operable by Figure 1 is an elevation of part of a windhis knees and whereby, as indicated in Fig S0 hi ld f an t bil fitt d with y imure 1, the driver on desiring to turn to the proved indicator, left will press the S-shaped lever 17 with his Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1, part right knee to theposition indicated by the of the car being broken away to more clearly dotted lines in Figure 1, causing the indiindicate the operating mechanism, cator to point in the same direction. Upon 85 Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan of a car releasing the lever 17 1t will automatically vith my improved indicator attached, return to its normal position through the op- Figure t indicates the means for simuleration of a spring 2( connecting the lever taneously illuminating and operating the dithe casing 19, the oint 21 permitting the rection indicator, ad ustment of the extension 21 to suit condi- Figure 5 is a vertical section through the tions, namely the type of motor car or the indicator, person drivingas the case may be. I

Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig- WVhen the lever 17 is pressed with the left ure 5, knee it will move to the position indicated Figure 7 shows a modified form for illumiby the dotted lines in Figure 1 operating thenating the indicator, and direction indicator accordingly and automat- Figure 8 illustrates a diagrammatic view of ically assuming, when the knee pressure is rethe wiring. leased, its normal position to the action of the Referring now more particularly to the spring 20 connecting the lever with the side drawings, A designates an automobile, B the {of the casing 19.

Simultaneously With the operation as described of moving the indicator, the bulb or lamp 14 in the indicator, the case of which may be provided With glass or transparent material having indicating letters thereon, is illuminated, this being accomplished through an extension 28 of the lever 17 which is designed to contact With the terminals 124 of the ground Wire 25, the Bowden Wire 16 being connected one end to the lever extension 23 and at the other end to thesocket 26 so that When the lever 17 is moved to the end operatively connected With the casing, a substantially 3-shaped lever pivoted intermediate of its length, the other end of the Bowden Wire being connected to one end of said lever, and equalizing springs operatively connected With opposite sides of the lever whereby it is normally maintained in mid Jp'ositio' e p Inwitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. v

rents-emu AUGUST DAEGH S left the extension 23 will contact with the T point 24 grounding the current from the Wire M i 27, thus lighting the bulbl l.

The circuit as particularly illustrated in Figure 8 consists of a singlewire circuitand includes the battery 35, ignition switch 36, main lead 37, leadx38, bulb l4 andile'ad 27 which is grounded through the operation of the lever 17, previously described.

It 'should'be noted that the lead 27 isconnected inany "Well known manner-to thelever "17, adjacent its pivotal point and with the current is conducted to the terminals 2 l'by the arm 23 andthus grounded in the regular way. 1 1 I To insure that the indicator when not'operated is held in normal position I provide a spring lock comprising a ball 28 andspring sential feature of my invention is the fact that this mechanism is operable, through a lever 17, otherwise than "by the hands or feet of the driver of the Vehicle and constitutes, it is submitted, a new departureand a material improvement over anything in the nature of direction indicator mechanisms heretofore in use. I

its many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of my invention, within the scope of the claim, constructed Without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanyingspecification and drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not in alimitingsense.

\Vhat I'cla'im as'my invention A direction signal for automobiles coinprising a turnahly mounted casing adapted to be turnedthieugh 180 de rees, ositionin means comprising a ball and spring mounted 'ina socket 'for releasably holding said casin in mid position, a Bowden wire having one 

